Fact or Fiction? Any Gun Safe Is Better Than No Gun Safe

[Charlie98]

When my brother had his house in northern Ohio, he had his nice, shiny red safe by the front window. I told him that probably wasn't the best place for it....

He did wise up... when they moved to their next house, he buried it in the back of his master closet.

 

[Old Dog]

Absolutely, any safe (or "residential security container") is better than no safe.

The primary drivers for this are keeping firearms away from children and stupid people (yes, even family members). Those that would break in to one's abode with bad intent are the secondary drivers.

If someone accesses the interior of one's dwelling, at the very least, slow them down and make them work.

We were all young and poor once yet had a few things valuable to us in our homes that we wanted to keep safe.

For me now, since I'm able to afford a whole-home security security system, have buttoned up the house pretty well with regard to protecting it from break-ins, and have vigilant doggos, I'm concerned about fire protection, which is the primary reason I upgraded my safes.

There's a few respondents to the OP's question who provided good, simple advice. We were all young and living from paycheck to paycheck once. A cheap safe is better than none, for sure.

 

[tws3b2]

I have two steel cabinets. One around 25 years old and the other about 2 years old. I could break into the 2 year old with a screw driver. The 25 year old would not be so easy.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Just go all out. Get one of those 200 dollar locker type stand up safes, and I'd attach either a wooden platform, or wooden wings, depending on my approach.

The wooden wings thing for a apartment. Bascially. get lumber planks and screw some screws in them. Drill holes in the back of the safe that correspond with the screws. The planks or plank attach through here, then you torque a lung nut on the screws inside of the safe. Trim the end of the planks/plank to length of closet. Then you add two more wood planks stretching out from this, also lining up the closet. The eventual idea is you make a entire shelf system in the closet, tight against the walls and it's attached to the safe. There is no way to move the safe, its one with the closet now unless you open it and untorque the lug nuts and take the safe out. Obviously this is a whole weekend job but honestly I'd like to try it out. It'd look tacky as hell but someone could make it work and blend in. Especially if you make the wood planks go upwards and back over to the top of the safe, and torque screws in through there as well; adding shelves along the exposed wood planks.

 

[GRIZ22]

Burglars generally don't want to spend more than 5 minutes in a house. They will grab everything of value in sight and leave. They don't want to screw around with locks.

OTOH, if they know you have valuable guns, jewelry or whatever they may come prepared to deal with whatever security you've established.

Most burglars rather steal $5000 of your wife's jewelry sitting in a case on the dresser rather than gain access to $20,000 worth of guns in a security cabinet.

 

[TTv2]

I'm of the opinion that even the basic level of protection is better than none at all because most crimes are crimes of opportunity. The thin sheet metal cabinets are fine for keeping kids out, but those things can be cut into in seconds with hand tools, so a safe is better IMO.

That said, most burglers are just looking to steal stuff like valuables, electronics, power tools, and as quickly as possible because their goal is to get in and out in a few minutes and as time goes on more and more are aware of the chances they're already being watched on a camera, which means a smart burgler is best to target homes of older people given they have more money and less tech surveillance devices.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Get what you can afford,screw it to a wall in the back of closet.Hang clothes in front.Thieves dont hang around and look ,they grab and run.If you are in a rental close to others be discreet when going to the range.If they know you have something they will look harder. Laptop case is great for handguns.

 

[gudaki]

Fact, any safe is better than no safe. My opinion.

 

[Reloadron]

While I recognize the value of safes, I went with an ADT alarm system, with interior motion, breaking glass (windows) and all entry door sensors

Good point and I mentioned earlier how the cost of good home security has come down in cost. This includes systems for apartments and rental properties.

Ron

 

[Anchorite]

Another added benefit to a safe: you can store other items in them for safe-keeping.

I live on the northern gulf coast, in south Alabama. We occasionally get these pesky storms called hurricanes. We store our passports, some jewelry, car titles and the like in our safe. If the house is damaged or we are “forced” to bug out, (or if there is a fire) those items (along with the guns) are likely to survive because we stored them in the safe in the first place.

ADT can’t safe-keep your important documents. Your insurance carrier isn’t going to help you get a replacement title for your car or truck. Just ain’t gonna happen.

 

[e rex]

I have a cheap tin safe that you could get into with a can opener. It's purpose is not to deter thieves it is to keep my little Great Grand Kids from playing with guns without supervision. it has a lock and works great for its purpose.

 

[Scooter22]

For a urban or city neighbor hood one of the StackOns bolted to the wall should be fine. Most urban crime is snatch and run. They don't want to spend much time in the house. If your rural where they could stay un noticed that is where I,d want a real HD safe. I have multiple StackOns bolted together so no way could they be removed without knocking a wall out. Plus I leave bait out for the rats. A couple useless lap tops and cell phones to grab and run. Wiped clean of data of course. jmo

 

[AlexanderA]

I was talking to another customer at the local tractor store that is a Liberty dealer. He said something in admiration of a really beautiful safe. I said I couldn't understand why I'd want such an immaculate paint job. He explained that it's for putting in your living room, to show off, to display to the people that come to your house. I realized that he must be right. I can't think of another reason for the bright, glossy, starburst paint with shiny gilding and elaborate scroll work. I just don't have that lifestyle myself -- you know, with one of those rooms that's for looks and not for use, with the chairs that nobody sits in.

The best reason to have such a "display" safe is to act as a decoy, while you keep the guns elsewhere. But on the other hand, the presence of such a safe indicates to a thief that you have something valuable in the house. Therefore he might break in whereas otherwise he wouldn't.

 

[AlexanderA]

I find that as I get older, the house tends to fill with clutter (and no, I'm not a hoarder). That in itself would make things difficult for a thief. He doesn't have time to sort through tons of miscellaneous stuff. A neat, organized house is actually a thief's friend.

 

[daniel craig]

Trapper - if you live in or near a fairly large city, check your phone book for "safes". There may be a business that deals with used safes and you might find something usable for your situation.

Phone book? Those are still around?

 

[sisyphus]

TSC fairly often does the 30 gun Liberty safe for 500 and change, and if you apply for the TSC credit card they give it to you 12 mos same as cash.
That is the best cheap option I know of, and I have one sitting in my dining room.

 

[tark]

3. Noisemaker boobytraps.

This is a sneaky little contraption. Looks like a door stop. When a door is opened it triggers and emits an ear splitting screech. Very handy for travelling as well for security in one's motel room.

Most burglars rather steal $5000 of your wife's jewelry sitting in a case on the dresser rather than gain access to $20,000 worth of guns in a security cabinet.

A very good point, as the Jewelry is easier to carry off and sell.

 

[Megawatt maker]

First, these things that are called "safes" are really no such thing. They are "security containers". A true safe is something you see at a bank...or one of the larger, very heavy (not movable without power equipment)and has a UL testing label indicating that it would take a non professional thief at least one hour to break, along with its fire rating, water rating...etc.

That said...and "safe" is better than no safe, but really, they just keep honest people, honest.

Any junkie, tweeker, semi motivated thief can and will break into any of these "containers" in shockingly short time.

I have a middle grade one with hidden hinges, relockers, hardened bolts...etc and Im VERY sure I could be inside it in under 5 minutes with an angle grinder and a cutting wheel or two. I could even use a couple longish pry bars and a little German nasty temper and have it busted open in just a few minutes as well.

I do know you DO NOT get any kind of discount on insurance premiums for having one. My agent told me they see them as slightly less than useless against theft. In fact sometimes its worse...thief sees a safe and thinks all the valuables are in one easy to find basket.

They are good to keep kids away from your guns...and maybe a little deterrent...but that's about it.

 

[marvin02]

If you get the safe remove the door when moving it. The door is sometimes 1/3 of the weight.

Also think about getting it into your space without the neighbors seeing, if possible.

 

[epags]

While I recognize the value of safes, I went with an ADT alarm system, with interior motion, breaking glass (windows) and all entry door sensors. If the alarm is not disarmed within 60 seconds, ADT calls for the disarm code, failing that, the police (less than 5 minutes away) are notified. There are always items beyond guns to be protected,

Questions, Is the rental house in a populated neighborhood? What is the response time for the police after they are notified? If the response time is short, go with an alarm company that will notify the police in case of a break-in.

Case in point:
I lived in Conneticut off a beltway (kind of a small freeway for Westerners) The beltway bandits (not the ones from Washington DC) would drive up to a house, knowing they woud have about 10 minutes before the local police would arrive, they literaly kick in the front door, go directly to the master bedroom, grab the jewlery box, look into the closets and run out.
In my case they hit a home on the other side of the loop, drove around to my house and did the same thing. My house had an ADT alarm on a 20 - 30 second delay. They had made it to the bedroom and grabbed my wife's jewlery case and was headed down the hall way when the alarm's booming voice said the police had been aIerted and a screeching siren went off, which apparently scared the crook so badly he threw the jewery case across the living room and ran out the front door. (Or he had looked in the case and saw what cheap jewery I had given my wife (LOL)). ADT called me after calling the police and I got to the house shortly after they had arrived. I notified them there was a handgun hidden in the bedroom and since we didn't know if the crooks had left we waited for a team of officers to arrive and sweep the premises. The crooks left so fast after the alarm they did not find the gun or take computers from another room.
Bottom Line: If the police can get to your place fairly quickly go with a house alarm system and a lockable safe. Insurance does not hurt either. Mine payed for most of the cost to replace the front door. By the way when a door is cracked up the middle, long hinge screws and lock set does not help.

 

[mjsdwash]

if you don't have a stud finder, get a rare earth magnet, or similar from anywhere, and use it to find a stud in the closet you'll put it in. The sheetrock screws will tell you where.
Drill holes about 3/8 in the safe, at least two, one low, one high. If possible two rows for 4 screws.
Get some heavy wood screws and screw into the studs. Predrill for the bolt size you get.
Any building that can support two floors will have adequate framing.

A drill, bits, hardware, magnet, and everything you need to bolt to a wall is less than $50, and will make a safe fairly hard to remove with two bolts. Four will make it extremally difficult. Any effort to pry will cause the sheetrock to collapse and make extraction difficult.

Spackling four 3/8" holes in a closet when you move is a non issue. This is the go-to method for rentals.

 

[74man]

I have a safe now and have had it for about 15 years cause California passes a law the all buyers sign and paper that they own an approved firearm safe. Never had a gun theft and never locked them up. Just for what it is worth. The only thing about a lock is to keep honest people out, as the saying goes.

 

[tws3b2]

Several years ago my home was broken into during the day while we were at work.
A gun was taken along with a large amount of change.
But, my steel gun cabinet that was bolted to the floor in a closet was untouched. The change was in the closet next to the gun cabinet. The gun was in a drawer.
The cops came out. They reluctantly dusted for prints. That was a joke. They did not dust the drawer the gun was in. They did not dust the closet door the change was in.. They did not dust the back door where we think they came in.
They dusted a closet door in another room that was open but nothing missing. I don't know, it beats me. We were left with a big finger print dust mess that gets down into your carpet.
The gun was just a cheap 25 auto my dad had given me. Not worth much.
Tip: Make Sure you have a record of all serial numbers. Without, You will not get back. Not even if it's found and you recognize as yours.

 

[HHollow]

"..a safe is better than nothing.."

A well-off friend of mine might not agree. His gun room had a heavy steel door. When you entered there were two nice sturdy safes to the left. If you bothered to break into the safes you would only find ammo. Most of the guns were in hidden steel cabinets to the right of the entry door. And the really high end stuff would be found in a converted coke vending machine located in plain sight outside of the gun storage room.

 

[illinoisburt]

Several years ago my home was broken into during the day while we were at work.
A gun was taken along with a large amount of change.
But, my steel gun cabinet that was bolted to the floor in a closet was untouched. The change was in the closet next to the gun cabinet. The gun was in a drawer.
The cops came out. They reluctantly dusted for prints. That was a joke. They did not dust the drawer the gun was in. They did not dust the closet door the change was in.. They did not dust the back door where we think they came in.
They dusted a closet door in another room that was open but nothing missing. I don't know, it beats me. We were left with a big finger print dust mess that gets down into your carpet.
The gun was just a cheap 25 auto my dad had given me. Not worth much.
Tip: Make Sure you have a record of all serial numbers. Without, You will not get back. Not even if it's found and you recognize as yours.

Searching for fingerprints for a simple burglary is the stuff of television, not real life. If no one was injured the standard is confirm the suspects are no longer in the premises and take a report about what may have been taken. This is very low priority to solve in most areas because frankly it's a simple property crime and most people have insurance. Same goes for car break-ins. Best advise if you want some resolution is get cameras. They are very cheap anymore and super easy to install both indoors and out around your property.